Manchester City Res 2. Bolton Wanderers Res 1

Bolton Scorer
By Mark Heys
December 12 2007

Bolton Wanderers reserves played out their final game of the year in disappointing fashion when going down to a 2-1 defeat against local rivals Manchester City at the Sport City Arena yesterday evening.

Last season's reserve league champions have not won a league game so far this term and City took advantage of that fact when Ashley Grimes netted a double in front of a number of watching scouts.

Jimmy Phillips Wanderers side did have some positives to take out of the game as Slovakian striker Zoltan Harsanyi scored from the penalty spot but the Trotters must now wait until the New Year to get their ailing season back on track.

City took the lead in the 26th minute and set the tone for the night's events, Karl Moore set up Paul Marshall and the resulting ricochet made its way through to Grimes who made no mistake to fire the ball past Bolton keeper Adam Bogdan.

Bolton drew level just after the half hour mark when Harsanyi netted his second of the season from the spot after defender Curtis Obeng had fouled Johann Smith in full flight.

Wanderers could have had a second goal in the build up to the half time interval but Swiss international Blerim Dzemaili saw his free kick strike the outside of the post and Daniel Braaten forced a good save out of Joe Hart.

The second half saw little in the way of goalmouth action but Hart had to be alert to twice deny Braaten the chance to use his pace to get in behind the City defence.

On 78 minutes Grimes won the game for the home side after substitute James Poole and Shaleum Logan had combined well in the build up and it could have been much worse for Bolton had Javan Vidal's header not come back off the woodwork two minutes from time.

BOLTON WANDERERS RESERVES: Adam Bogdan, James Sinclair, Scott Jamieson, Blerim Dzemaili, David Gbemie, Mark Charlesworth, Daniel Braaten, Robert Sissons, Zoltan Harsanyi, Chris Basham, Johann Smith.

SUBS: Leslie Thompson, Przemyslaw Kazimierczak, Matthew Cassidy, Nathan Woolfe, Temitope Obadeyi.

MANCHESTER CITY RESERVES: Joe Hart, Curtis Obeng, Shaleum Logan, Nedum Onuoha, Sam Williamson, Michael Daly, Javan Vidal, Ashley Grimes, Adam Clayton, Paul Marshall, Karl Moore.

SUBS: Clayton McDonald, Gregory Hartley, Christian Mouritsen, James Poole, Gregory Cunningham.